Local man gets five to 10 years for Norristown playground rape

COURTHOUSE — A man who smothered his victim to the point of unconsciousness then raped her in a local park pleaded guilty to his crimes and was sentenced to five to 10 years behind bars Wednesday.

James Joseph Burrell, 50, with a listed address as the Montgomery County Correctional Facility (MCCF), according to court documents, pleaded guilty to forcible rape and aggravated assault before Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Carluccio.

According to an affidavit, on Oct. 21, 2012 around 8:15 a.m., Norristown police responded to Mercy Suburban Hospital to meet with a reported rape victim.

Upon arrival, police interviewed the victim, who told them that the night prior, around 7 p.m., she was at Riverfront Park at Haws Avenue by the Schuylkill River in Norristown when she was approached by Burrell, whom she knew.

She told police that when Burrell arrived at the park that night, the two of them went off to the playground area to hug and kiss. She then said that Burrell soon became aggressive and rough with her, pulling her pants down and her sweater up around her neck in “not a nice way,” as read from the affidavit.

When she reportedly told Burrell she did not want to continue, he slammed her head into a sliding board. The woman began to yell for help, which only further enraged Burrell. She told police he then placed his elbow over her throat and applied pressure until she lost consciousness. Upon regaining consciousness, the woman found herself pinned to the ground with Burrell on top of her, assaulting her.

The woman was treated at the hospital for injuries, which consisted of a concussion, a sub-conjunctive hemorrhage, a chipped tooth and multiple bruises, swelling and scratches to her head, back, arms and legs.

On Oct. 23, 2012, Burrell was arrested at Riverfront Park on an outstanding probation warrant. When police informed Burrell he was the suspect of a rape, he reportedly uttered, “I haven’t had sex with her in over a month and I haven’t raped anyone.”

Police swabbed the inside of Burrell’s mouth for a DNA sample. He gave a statement to police wherein he reportedly said, “Here’s my statement — I didn’t have sex with her. I didn’t rape her, and I didn’t fight with her. Go ask her black boyfriend what happened to her face, that’s all I’m saying.”

On Oct. 25, 2012, detectives met with the victim, at which time she gave a signed statement to police. The victim was shown photos of eight white suspects and pointed out Burrell as the perpetrator of the assault. She told police she had been involved with him romantically, but that relationship ended one month prior. She claimed she had not seen Burrell until the night of the attack, when she was drinking in the park with some friends.

The woman told police when the assault was over, she was so afraid that she hid in the bushes nearby for approximately two hours.